Ready to Learn Program
Our Ready to Learn initiative involves reaching families from a variety of backgrounds and helping them help their young children prepare for kindergarten. We currently have classes at John B. Hughes Apartments and NuElm Apartments, with plans to add additional classes within the next month.
The objectives of the children's program include:
- Insuring children can work with other children and a teacher in small and large groups.
- Help develop some of the necessary first skills, including recognizing their name, basic colors, shapes, counting skills and other related academic firsts.
- Being sure children have the social skills necessary to be successful in a classroom.
For information about joining the free classes, please call Brenda at (417) 888-2020.
We also are providing Nurturing Parenting's The ABCs of Parenting, which is an eight session program designed to improve parenting and child rearing practices of parents of children entering kindergarten.
The objectives of the ABCs of Parenting are:
- To increase nurturing parenting skills and interactions between parents and their children ages 3 to 7 years.
- To provide programs for parents on children's developmental stages, empathy, praise, self esteem, family morals and values, rewards and punishment, managing behaviors, and stress.
For information about signing up for the free classes, please call Amy at (417)888-2020.
Finally, we are providing interns to serve as mentors at Shady Dell Early Childhood Center. The interns will be working one-on-one and in small groups with children identified by the teachers. The main objective is to provide additional support to children insuring their easy and successful transition into kindergarten.
Links to more resources: